Stylos is the blog of Jeff Riddle, a Reformed Baptist Pastor in North Garden, Virginia. The title "Stylos" is the Greek word for pillar. In 1 Timothy 3:15 Paul urges his readers to consider "how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar (stylos) and ground of the truth."

Friday, September 14, 2018

The Vision (9.14.18): Washing the Disciples' Feet

If I then, your Lord
and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet
(John 13:14).

Christ admonishes his disciples to follow his example and wash
one another’s feet.

In 1 Timothy 5:10 the apostle Paul described the godly widows
in the church as those who had “washed the saints' feet.” We get some idea of
what he meant by this by the other things that these women had done which he
mentions in this verse, like: bringing up children, lodging strangers,
relieving the afflicted, and diligently following every good work.

Consider also Paul’s admonition in Galatians
5:10: “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men,
especially unto them who are of the household of faith.”

The question we must ask: Do we wash the feet of our
fellow disciples?

This might include the way conduct yourself
within your marriage, as well as before your children and neighbors and extended
family. It has special application, however, as to how we act toward the
brethren within the church.

What does it mean to wash the feet of the
disciples? Here are some things that will be part of this:

҉ We have to know the brethren. We have to love
them enough to be committed to getting to know them and letting them know us.
This means we have to be present, and we have to stay around.

҉ We can do good works for each other. That might
encompass everything (as needed) from preparing a meal, cleaning a house,
raking a yard, keeping children, giving rides, sitting by sickbeds, lending a
listening ear, and countless other acts of love and service to one another.

҉ It means being forbearing and patient with one
another.

҉ It means overlooking faults, not keeping
records of wrongs, and trusting that love covers a multitude of sins.

҉ It means making your home a place of
hospitality, and sometimes it means lodging strangers.

҉ It means praying for one another, and not just
saying you will and then forgetting about it.

When we do these sorts of things (and plenty more
that cannot always be named on a list), we are obeying Christ’s command and
following his example. We are taking up the towel and filling the basin, so
that we can have the privilege of washing the feet of the disciples, just as
Christ has served us.